India’s Parliamentary Panel Calls for Faster Uranium Mining Clearances

A parliamentary committee in India has recommended sweeping regulatory reforms to speed up uranium mining and milling projects, aiming to secure a reliable fuel supply for the country’s Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor fleet. The panel highlighted that existing provisions of the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act prevent seamless lease‑area extensions, forcing new leases and separate approvals that delay projects such as the deep‑deposit at Narwapahar.

Key proposals include amending the act to allow contiguous lease extensions for strategic minerals, establishing a single‑window clearance system with statutory timelines that integrates central and state approvals, and creating a coordination platform chaired by the Department of Atomic Energy to resolve inter‑ministerial bottlenecks. The committee also suggested a state‑level framework for land acquisition, rehabilitation, water supply and emergency planning. The government has issued interim responses, but a final decision on the recommendations is still pending.